


Struggles of Love

by prubun



Series: RusPru One-Shots [27]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha!Russia, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Fluff, M/M, Omega!Prussia, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-02
Updated: 2019-08-02
Packaged: 2020-07-29 09:48:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20080186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prubun/pseuds/prubun
Summary: Prince Ivan must find an omega to marry before he can become king, at risk of being forced into an arranged marriage by his father.





	Struggles of Love

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Huggiebird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Huggiebird/gifts).

> ##  _Glancing down he saw the omega from last night cuddled right up to his side, one arm locked with his and their legs tangled together. Blood rushed to Ivan's face and colored his cheeks as he tried to sit up._
> 
> ** [Posted: August 2nd, 2019] **
> 
> Written for Huggiebird on tumblr! Hope you all enjoy!

In a lavish room in a big manor, Ivan sat opposite from his father for an uncomfortable breakfast. None of his sisters were present nor his mother either. It was just him and his father. Whenever it was just the two of them, only a limited number of topics would come up; usually boring nobility things like listening to the complaints of the, "lesser folk," as his father called them, or talking about taxes and events. The worst topic, however, was about Ivan's future as king.

"You're running out of time, Ivan," his royal father warned. "Three months, or I'll arrange a marriage to a suitable omega."

Ivan bit the inside of his lip and held his tongue. This conversation came up every so often, but more so in recent weeks, and each time it made Ivan want to retreat into a dark hole and hide. He was not ready to marry; he hadn't even found an omega that he was serious about at all, and he had to find one within three months that he liked enough to make his queen?

The rest of the meal went on in silence, occasionally his father would bring up other things but Ivan could only focus on what he was told. 

_Three months_.

Two and a half months passed far too quickly and Ivan had seen dozens of omegas come and go. The king held a few balls and feasts to help Ivan on his search but every time was a failure. He made the attempt — no one could blame him if he at least _tried_ to find someone, but it was all the same. Every omega made him feel the same. That is to say, he felt nothing. The city was full of nobles suitable for the future king but none of them struck him as someone he wanted to spend his life with.

One night was particularly bad. At dinner, he received the full lecture from his father—in full view of his sisters and mother no less—of how he was disgracing the family name, how he couldn't believe he raised such an insolent son, and that he was a failure. The excessive berating sent him into the darkness of his room with a large bottle of vodka, and he didn't leave it until not a single drop was left. 

Late into the night, he wandered out of the manor — a mistake, to be sure, but he didn't care. Some people saw him and laughed mockingly at him as they pointed and sneered. Eventually, around midnight, he stumbled up to a building that had large barrels along its side. Similar to a keg, but standing upright, with large metal bands around them. He found a spot between two of the large upright barrels and slumped down into the dirt, not giving a thought to how he was dirtying his fine clothes.

What felt like hours passed, when in actuality it was only fifteen, when he suddenly heard a voice ring out.

"Oi! Hey, what are you doing back there!?" 

The voice hurt his head and he groaned as he sat up. Blinking upward he saw a man in commoner's clothes, black trousers, and a white tunic that looked slightly too big for his physique, with skin and hair as pale as the moon. 

"Hey! Answer me!" Ivan groaned more and stood up, and then stepped out of the shadow.

"Forgive me—" Ivan apologized and then hiccuped softly. Instantly there was recognition on the other man's face.

"Oh, s-shit, no I'm—" he stuttered and brushed his clothes off. "I didn't know it was you, your highness." Ivan waved his hand dismissively at the honorific.

"Please, just call me Ivan," he asked. "Please just someone call me Ivan."

"Oh...okay..." the man breathed in, stunned by what he'd found. "I didn't expect to find you here. Usually it's some drunken idiot." He heard Ivan chuckle.

"Right now I'm not far from that." Ivan could feel the tense air between them. He cleared his thoughts and tried his best to not look completely disheveled by brushing his hair back and dusting his clothes off. "Sorry, and you are...?" The man perked up as if he had been called to attention.

"Oh! I'm Gilbert. Gilbert Beilschmidt."

"Beilschmidt...Beilschmidt. I know that name..." Ivan pondered as he rubbed his chin. Gilbert saw him struggling to play his family name.

"My family owns this distillery you were napping outside of. We specialize in beer. And my brother is in the Kingsguard."

"Ah, that's right, that's why it sounds so familiar, I've seen your brother many times." Ivan watched Gilbert for a moment and studied him; the man seemed uncomfortable. "I don't believe I've ever seen you though." Gilbert visibly shrunk a bit.

"Yeah I don't get out much." Ivan felt something off in his words, like he was trying to avoid the topic. 

In truth, the mere mention of his more-successful brother made his stomach turn. Ludwig was everything that Gilbert was supposed to be as the elder brother, but with his health, being an omega, and how he looked, Ludwig surpassed him in everything, from work to love. He hated to admit it, but he felt very envious of his brother.

"Well, thank you, Gilbert for waking me." He held out his hand and Gilbert hesitantly shook it. When Gilbert's fingers brushed against his, he felt a chill bolt up his spine and it made his neck tense; he'd never felt that before. Their hands clasped for a moment. Gilbert felt his heart beating odd and he realized what was happening and it annoyed him. Ivan was an alpha; everyone knew that — and Gilbert was an omega.

"Well then, I should be heading back home," Ivan said. As he took a step forward he wobbled, stumbled and tripped over his own two feet, and bumped into Gilbert before bracing himself against one of the big kegs.

"Whoa there, why don't you lay down or something?" Gilbert placed his hands on Ivan's arm to support him. "We have a spare room. Might not be as fancy as those huge rooms you got up in your manor but you'll be more comfortable there." Ivan smiled at him.

"I'd like that. Thank you, Gilbert."

The omega smelled good. Better than good — Wonderful. Safe. Comfortable... Delicious. As Gilbert helped him through the halls, Ivan kept glancing downwards at him. To his arms, hands, face, chest, legs. It had to be the vodka still heavily in his system. He began to have thoughts like, _He's shorter than me_, _he smells nice_, and _his skin is soft_. He wasn't feeling like his usual self at all and for some reason, he felt compelled to hold Gilbert closer than he already was. Eventually, after going up a flight of stairs, Gilbert brought Ivan into a somewhat small room with a simple bed, dresser, and desk.

Gilbert helped Ivan onto the bed. For a moment he scanned the prince and wondered what had happened to him; he'd never seen Ivan look so undignified. Gilbert gently brushed his fingers through Ivan's hair and felt some dirt come loose and fall to the floor.

"Jeez. What on earth happened to you...?' he half mumbled, not expecting an answer. Ivan sighed.

"My dad yelled at me." Upon hearing the answer, Gilbert paused and left his hand in the prince's hair. There was so much disappointment in Ivan's voice — so much sadness.

"Oh...?" Gilbert's voice was worried. Seeing Ivan look so vulnerable was a strange sight.

"He said I'm a failure." Ivan sniffled and rubbed at his eye. Gilbert took a step back and smiled nervously.

"Why don't I get you some water, help you sober up?" All Ivan did was give a nod in response. Gilbert left the room for a few minutes and came back with a pitcher of water and a glass. He poured the water and handed it to Ivan, who took it a bit shakily from him.

"Thank you," he said and began to drink. He drank through nearly the entire glass before stopping. 

"Feel any better?" Gilbert asked, now sat beside him. Ivan nodded.

"My head feels more clear."

"Good. You can stay here tonight, if you don't mind the room. Even for the prince, it's not safe out there at night. Actually, _especially_ for the prince." Gilbert chuckled and shifted to face him. "So, what happened?"

"My father... He wants me to find a mate, to become my 'queen,' I guess..."

"And...?"

"He's been telling me for months. He's getting impatient. I had a bad night and drank a lot..."

"I know, I can smell it." Gilbert chuckled and saw a little smile on Ivan's lips, but then it quivered and his brows furrowed into a sad expression.

"I don't want to get married," Ivan told him. "I want to marry someone _I_ like, not someone my stupid father picks for me." Gilbert was stunned when he felt two arms wrap around his waist and pulled him backward onto the bed. Ivan flipped on top of him and buried his face into his stomach.

"H-Hey! What are you doing!? Get off me!" Gilbert shouted and pushed on Ivan's shoulders. It was terrifying how his efforts did little to move Ivan's body. Suddenly he felt trapped; he knew how some alphas were towards omegas, and he was scared that his struggling did nothing to budge the alpha.

"Don't go, please," Ivan pleaded and squeezed Gilbert tighter. It was then that Gilbert's mind cleared and the fear subsided, and he realized that Ivan's body was shivering. Ivan was crying into his chest. Even though he was just in a state of fear and it felt awkward to be in that position, he just couldn't leave someone when they were crying.

"So the king wants you to find a mate to marry?" Gilbert asked after a few minutes. Ivan nodded. "And you haven't found anyone?" Ivan nodded. "No one at all?" Ivan buried his face against Gilbert in shame. Gilbert then hesitantly draped his arms over Ivan's shoulders and back, unsure if he was allowed to touch Ivan, even in their current situation. "Well...I can't really help with that, so just relax and try to sleep."

"It's not fair. I don't want to..."

"Shh," Gilbert shushed him and began to cradle him. For the next few minutes, Gilbert could hear Ivan muttering to himself as he laid on him. The prince's weight was enough to compress his lungs and made it somewhat difficult to breathe; he could feel every breath they took. 

Eventually, Ivan began to snore softly as he fell asleep. Gilbert looked down at Ivan's ash-blond hair and couldn't believe it. Doing his usual night cleaning led to stumbling across the prince completely wasted and stinking of vodka. Now he was holding the man as he cried and fell asleep. Gilbert's body felt the ache of longing, crying out for an alpha's touch as he'd avoided the desire for so long. Now, he felt comfortable, if a little nervous from their position, but before long, his pink eyes slid shut and he drifted to sleep.

Ivan's lavender eyes fluttered open to a bright, sun-lit room. He tried to move but felt a tug on his body. Glancing down he saw the omega from last night cuddled right up to his side, one arm locked with his and their legs tangled together. Blood rushed to Ivan's face and colored his cheeks as he tried to sit up. When Gilbert's grip on his arm tightened with an unhappy grunt, Ivan's heart pounded and he froze up. For minutes Ivan watched the man sleep. He was stunning, absolutely beautiful and so incredibly kind to let him stay. This omega was so...perfect.

That was the moment Ivan decided — Gilbert was the one he wanted.

Soon enough, Gilbert woke as well and stretched a little before he realized that he was sharing a bed. Jolting up quickly, Gilbert shifted away from Ivan with a yelp and breathed heavily.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sleep with you," Gilbert spoke almost frantically. His face was burning with embarrassment; he'd never shared a bed with someone before, and this was the _prince_ that he was snuggled up to. 

Ivan sat up and smiled kindly.

"I'm sorry about last night. That was...not my proudest moment." Gilbert turned his head away.

"It's fine, nothing to apologize for," he mumbled and tried to sneakily glance back to Ivan. "So... Do you feel any better? Was all of that true? You're gonna be forced to marry someone?" Ivan's smile disappeared into that sad frown.

"Yes. My father won't delay it much longer." Ivan saw Gilbert shift.

"Sorry to hear that. Having issues with my own father, I can sympathize." The words made Ivan feel more at home — safer. 

A thought clicked in Ivan's brain. He blushed and began to fiddle his hands, which caught Gilbert's attention.

"You're an omega. Would...you be my mate?" Gilbert's face was extraordinarily expressive when he was shocked and it would have made Ivan laugh were he not completely serious. Gilbert recoiled backwards at the offer and shifted back a few inches on the bed as hot embarrassment shot through his entire body and colored his pale face.

"What? No! No way! Not happening! Not interested! And—!! Wait a minute— You even said that you wanted to like the person— You barely know me!" 

"I understand," Ivan said and then smiled happily. "Then I'll spend the next two weeks falling in love with you and wooing you." Gilbert groaned in irritation but couldn't deny how cute the sentiment was — and that damn smile. 

After that, Ivan cleaned himself up a bit, and Gilbert helped sneak him out of the house.

In truth, Gilbert didn't expect anything. Ivan said some sweet words in the moment after a stranger showed him kindness, that's all it was. So when he began to receive gifts just a day later of silk shirts, beautifully crafted jewelry fit for a prince, and fine alcohol, he was thoroughly stunned. 

It all irritated him if he was being honest.

He didn't need all that fancy royal stuff. But at least the alcohol was good.

Ivan returned well into the second week and brought more gifts. More of the same, which made Gilbert even more unhappy. It felt like Ivan was trying to buy him with gifts, and he didn't understand why he was so hellbent on _him_.

As Ivan handed him the nicely wrapped package, Gilbert angrily grabbed it and tossed it onto a nearby table.

"You idiot! If you want to woo me, do it the normal way! You're going to get me in trouble with all this stuff!" he yelled, finally cracking after he'd gained about nine new silk shirts since Ivan started giving him things.

Ivan was stunned for a moment.

"P-Pardon?"

"You know! Like, what _normal_ people do! Take me on an _actual_ date, goddammit!"

Ivan had to admit that he was further shocked by the other.

"You're right. I've been doing this wrong, haven't I?" Ivan sighed and rubbed his neck awkwardly. "Why don't we have dinner tonight? Nothing fancy, just us and a little meal." The red anger in Gilbert's face turned to a faint pink as he contemplated the offer.

"Alright, that's fine then," Gilbert agreed with a small grumble.

Ivan didn't lie when he said the dinner wouldn't be fancy. They couldn't meet at either of their homes, so finding a fairly deserted place was the best option. Ivan brought some simple bread and meats that he's swiped from the royal kitchen before they were properly presented for his family. There was a small table with a candle burning in the center on a brass holder—more things Ivan had taken—with them sitting across from each other. 

Far into the night, they talked about anything and everything. Sad stories of a rough childhood, the struggles of growing up a royal, their siblings, their parents, what they liked, what hobbies they had, favorite foods and drinks. Everything. They laughed and they cried a little, but everything was perfect.

After dinner, they stood under an archway hidden by the night to say their goodbyes. Ivan held his hands sweetly and smiled at him like he was full of bliss. Then, Ivan leaned down and inward for a kiss, but Gilbert shied away and avoided eye-contact. Ivan pulled back and studied him. He saw how Gilbert's eyes were shining, how bright his cheeks were, and Ivan felt himself gaining color as he thought about what it could mean.

Gilbert gasped softly when he felt Ivan's lips press against his forehead instead.

"Thank you for giving me the best evening of my life, Gilbert." The whisper was genuine and it made Gilbert feel happy and annoyingly giddy.

"I look forward to seeing you again." With that, Ivan turned, pulled up his hood to hide himself, and wandered off into the night. 

Gilbert waited until he couldn't hear Ivan's footsteps anymore. Then, he leaned against the nearby wall and put his hand over his chest. He knew he was blushing — burnt red and so embarrassingly, and his heart was beating fast against his ribcage.

"Dammit..." he cursed at himself quietly and bit his lip.

He knew, just as well, that he was falling for the prince.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
Remember to leave a comment and share if you enjoyed! Thank you! 💕
> 
> **My socials:**  
•[Tumblr](https://prubun.tumblr.com/)  
•Discord: prubun#3725  
•[25+ only Hetalia Discord!](https://discord.gg/UqsTh2)


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